You’ve probably noticed water collecting beneath a window AC unit or had to clean up after a leak in your central air system. All air conditioners produce water during the cooling process; some is needed to help cool the air and the rest is flushed out the back of the unit.

One of the misconceptions homeowners have when shopping for a new HVAC system is that the bigger, the better. However, this is definitely not true—and many homeowners end up paying way too much on a system that doesn’t do what they expected.

What does an air handler do? Quite simply, it handles your air. But what does that mean? Most AC units, particularly in Florida, are “split” systems, meaning they have units both indoors and outdoors. The air handler is the indoor part of your AC system—and a vital part, at that!

Air conditioners, which bring to mind “cold”, are actually a transfer of heat from inside your home to the outside. The unit does this by using a coolant that goes from a gas to a liquid and then back to a gas again. Understanding how an air conditioner functions is important for homeowners who may be considering air conditioning repair, installation, or servicing.